Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has urged Iran to use its influence with Yemen’s Houthi group to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia’s energy and economic infrastructure, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu on Thursday.
Munir made the appeal during a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as Islamabad steps up diplomatic efforts to contain the widening Middle East conflict and revive stalled US-Iran negotiations.
Iranian state media confirmed the two officials spoke while Araghchi was visiting China on Wednesday.
A source familiar with the conversation said Munir discussed the broader regional situation, focusing in particular on Houthi attacks and efforts to restart direct talks between Washington and Tehran.
The sources described Araghchi’s response as “hopeful” but provided no further details.
Pakistan calls for dialogue as regional tensions rise
The call came a day after a drone was intercepted near the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said the drone had been launched by the Houthis, while the group denied responsibility.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to implementing its bilateral defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and a trilateral Mecca defence pact involving Türkiye.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Pakistan remained committed to regional peace while maintaining operational confidentiality over any potential military measures.
He urged the Houthis to stop their activities, describing the situation around the Bab al Mandeb Strait as “exceptionally serious.”
“Our discussions basically revolve around bringing peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy and not through coercive measures,” Khan said, according to Dawn.
Islamabad pushes to revive US-Iran talks
Munir and Araghchi also discussed efforts to revive direct negotiations between Iran and the US, according to Pakistani sources.
Araghchi said Tehran was prepared to return to negotiations if Washington halted hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz and adhered to the Islamabad memorandum, the sources said.
China is also supporting efforts to restart the talks. During a meeting with Araghchi in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Iran and the US to exercise restraint, return to the Islamabad memorandum and engage in substantive negotiations.
Wang also said Beijing did not want regional tensions to spread further into Yemen and the Red Sea.
Pakistan has maintained contacts with both Washington and Tehran throughout the conflict and has sought to facilitate negotiations between the two sides.
The US and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding on June 17 and subsequently began negotiations towards a broader agreement, but the talks stalled over disagreements including security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest diplomatic push comes as fighting involving Iran, the US and regional armed groups continues to raise concerns about wider instability and disruptions to critical energy and shipping routes.
